Melt-spinning is one well established rapid solidification technique which has frequently been used to cast amorphous metal ribbons. To melt-spin a stable liquid jet of molten material is formed by ejection of the liquid through an appropriate orifice or nozzle, and then the jet of molten material is solidified on a moving heat sink. This technique is further described on pages 13 through 17 of a technique report, AFMR-TR-78-70 entitled "Amorphous Glassy Metals and Microcrystalline Alloys For Aerospace Applications" by E. W. Collings, R. E. Maringer, and C. E. Mobley. This report points out that while melt-spinning is particularly suited for producing the wire ribbon fibers of many nonreactive low melting alloys, the requirement of a stable crucible/orifice and jet severely limit the process utilization. The report states that titanium filaments have not been melt-spun since a stable crucible material is unavailable, and that operating difficulties with the orifice and jet have been encountered in attempts to melt-spin such materials as boron, beryllium and other reactive alloys.
High temperature nickel-base; nickel, chromium, titanium, aluminum alloys have been melted in watercooled copper crucibles. For example, British Pat. No. 1,517,283 discloses the use of a water-cooled crucible for melting and containing nickel-base alloys. The metal is removed from the crucible by spinning the crucible about its axis to generate atomized particles of liquid which move out radially from the edge of the crucible. This patent offers no teaching that the metal can be extracted from the crucible through an orifice of limited dimensions.
British Pat. No. 1,428,691 discloses melting materials in water-cooled molds. The melt is then solidified in situ. Again, this patent offers no teaching of a technique for the extraction of liquid metal from a water-cooled mold through a constricted orifice.
Thus, while the above patents show a method for melting materials in water-cooled crucibles, they provide no teachings of the use of these crucibles for melt-spinning.